CNN/Money  
graphic
Personal Finance > Investing
graphic
Buffett on stocks, junk, 'time bombs'
The billionaire investor says he's nervous about derivatives and not very excited about stocks.
March 3, 2003: 7:08 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - When Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders comes out each year, investors around the world sit up and listen.

After all, the "Oracle of Omaha" has been writing letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders for 38 years and over that time, he's become the world's second-richest man and one of its most widely followed investors.

 
Click on the picture for more on Buffett's letter

In this year's letter, to be found exclusively at Fortune.com, Buffett says he's nervous about derivatives -- he calls them "time bombs" -- and says he hasn't invested much money in stocks over the past year. He also talks about where his Omaha, Neb.-based holding company is putting its money now.

Specifically, Buffett discusses the difficulties of leaving the derivatives business after his 1998 purchase of General Re, the insurer. And he says the explosion in derivatives contracts may have created serious risks for the nation's financial system.

For more on Buffett's letter, click on these links to Fortune.com:

  • Avoiding a 'mega-catastrophe' - Buffett says derivatives like rate swaps and futures and options -- tools used by many professional investors -- are latent dangers that could become lethal.
  • Buffett on stocks today - "Unfortunately, the hangover from [the market bubble] may prove to be proportional to the binge."
  • Berkshire Hathaway and junk - Buffett's holding company has been making what he calls "sensible investments" in a few junk bonds and loans.
 Top of page




  More on INVESTING
Danger ahead? Investors turn wary
Finding good advice
Investor confidence continues to slide
  TODAY'S TOP STORIES
7 things to know before the bell
SoftBank and Toyota want driverless cars to change the world
Aston Martin falls 5% in its London IPO




graphic graphic

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.